Pluribus is certainly the new Severance in terms of week-to-week discussion of a bizarre sci-fi mystery, but now it’s comparable in another way as well. First, Pluribus became Apple TV’s biggest drama series launch ever, passing up Severance season 2, but now the streamer has just announced that it’s actually the most-watched show in Apple TV history. As in, ever.
The announcement came with a little video drawn from the celebratory (not so much) fireworks Carol set off last episode:
This news comes after the airing of episode 7 of Pluribus season 1, and it’s not quite clear how Apple is measuring this. Presumably, it’s saying that cumulatively, these first seven episodes have been watched more than any other season of a show. Or…all seasons combined of other shows? That would seem improbable, but they’re not sharing exact methods of calculation here. Still, impressive enough to announce and brag about.
The show, which features Better Call Saul alum Rhea Seehorn reunited with Breaking Bad/Saul creator Vince Gilligan, has her playing Carol, a woman trapped in a world that has converted nearly its entire population to a rapturous hivemind.
Pluribus has been accused of moving too slowly, and audience scores have started to drop dramatically below critic scores. It’s got a 98% score from reviewers, but it’s down to a 68% from audiences. The pace makes up the majority of complaints, but…people are watching, obviously. There are two more episodes to go as the season ends with nine, not the more traditional eight.
Pluribus was quickly renewed for season 2 right after it released, and these first numbers came in (at a reported $15 million an episode, that wasn’t a guarantee). The problem is that production here is going to take a long while, and estimates put a season 2 release date at around December 2027, over two years from now. Not the three of Severance, but still.
Vince Gilligan was asked about how long he thinks the show will run and estimated maybe four seasons. But he says when asked about Breaking Bad a long time ago, he undershot his estimate there, as it eventually ran for five. He also suggests that the entire thing mainly relies on how long star Rhea Seehorn wants to do it, as he developed the entire project for her, specifically. She just secured a Golden Globe nomination for Pluribus before the season even ended.
Slow pace or not, Pluribus is hypnotizing and addicting, so much so that it’s outpaced everything else in Apple TV’s (quite excellent) lineup of shows. Well deserved, if you ask me.
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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
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